Collapsible umbrellas



H. FISCHINGER COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLAS 5 Sheets-Shea?I 1 Filed March 29, 1957 Oct. 10, 1961 H. FxscHlNGER l "-\3,003,510

COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLAS Filed March 29, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 f/ fx \El/ Inventor.'

HBER T FSCHINGER lUnited States Patent O 3,003,510 COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLAS Herbert Fischinger, Ravensburg, Wurttemberg, Germany,

assigner to Bremshey i Co., Solingen-Uhligs, Ger-I many, a corporation of Germany Filed Mar. 29, 1957, Ser. No. 649,401 Claims priority, application Germany Apr. 3, 1956 4 Claims. (Cl. 13S- 26) In a known form of collapsible umbrella frame, the crown ends of the ribs are pivoted to the crown ends of the stem and the stem and the ribs are each in two parts which telescope one into the other to -bring the frame into its collapsed condition. The struts which, when the umbrella is opened extend between the ribs and the stem to hold the ribs in their lfully splayed positions, are each pivotally connected at one end to a slider movable along the stem and at the other to a :telescopic extension of a rib that moves towards the crown in collapsing the frame. The strut is connected to the main part of the rib, articulated to the crown, by a hinge. When the parts of the ribs telescope one into the other in collapsing the frame, the hinges move towards the crown and the slider to which they are connected moves with them.

Thus, when the frame is collapsed, the itelescoped ribs, the struts and the telescoped stem lie largely parallel to each other. To spread the frame, it is lirst extended by pulling the handle end of the ribs and stem relatively to the crown end. The frame in this condition is similar to the frame of an ordinary non-collapsible umbrella and, as with an ordinary frame, the frame is spread by sliding the main slider up the stem towards the crown end.

Now, until it is desired to spread the frame, the slider is connected to the stem by means of a push button, so that, in collapsing the umbrella, the slider and the part of the stem remote from the crown will move together. To spread the frame once it has been extended the slider has to move relatively to the stem and the push-button connection must therefore be released. Although the stem will not collapse when the main slider moves along the stem in Such a direction as to spread the frame, it is not normally certain that the frame will spread; it may happen that the ribs telescope instead.

In the past attempts to ensure that the frame would positively spread out have included an arrangement wherein the hinges slide relatively to the articulated main parts of the ribs only with difficulty so that the struts would pivot at the hinges rather than cause the hinges to slide along the main parts of the ribs. This, however, made it diicult to collapse the frame when collapsing was actually desired. As an alternative, braking or splaying Springs have been used to bias the extended frame towards open rather than closed position. These, however, often fail in service and tend to complicate the opening and closing process.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for ensuring .that the extended frame will be spread rather than held closed upon a displacement of the main slider along the stem.

According to the invention, an auxiliary slider is provided on the stem so that it can slide between the main slider and the crown. Each of the struts is connected to the auxiliary slider by a brace and means are provided on the auxiliary slider and on the normally upper or crown part of the stem which co-operate when the stem is more or less fully extended and the ribs lie parallel with the stem to prevent the auxiliary slider from moving along the stem. When :the main slider is then moved along the stem towards the crown, the struts are constrained bythe braces so that they can move only to splay the ribs and open the umbrella. When, however, the ribs are splayed to such an extent that further movement of 3,003,510 Patented Get. li), 1961 ice the main slider would increase the extent to which the ribs are splayed, rather than move the hinges along the main parts of the ribs, the connection holding the auxiliary slider stationary is released so that both the main and auxiliary sliders can slide towards the crown until they reach positions in which the frame is fully spread.

It the means on the auxiliary slider and the crown part of the stem which cooperate to prevent the auxiliary slider from moving along the stem were always positioned for mutual engagement unless the ribs of the frame were splayed to some extent, collapsing of the extended frame would be difficult or impossible. It is therefore preferred to provide an arrangement making such co-operation impossible unless the stem is fully, or substantially fully, extended.

By way of example an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE l shows part of an umbrella frame in its extended, but not spread, condition;

FIGURE 2 shows the same part of an umbrella frame, extended and partially spread;

FIGURE 3 shows in diagrammatic side elevation the auxiliary slider forming part of the frame shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and some of the components connected to it;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section of the slider shown in FIG. 3 on a plane containing the hook and the axis of the slider;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the slider shown in FIG. 3;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of a 'detail of one of the ribs of the frame shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the detail shown in FIG. 6;

FIGURE 8 shows a spring 4forming part of the frame shown in FIGS. l and 2; and

FIGURE 9 is a view in elevation of the umbrella frame, including the main slider.

The stern of the frame comprises a crown part 1 and a handle part 7 which can slide into the crown part 1 in collapsing the frame. A crown 17 is attached to the end of the crown part l remote from the handle part 7 and the ribs of the frame are articulated to the crown 17 by pivots lying in a peripheral recess. A conventional number of ribs-usually ten-are provided but, for the sake of clarity, only one is shown. All the ribs are, however, similar to the one shown and are connected to the auxiliary slider in the same way. A. conventional catch is shown at X.

Each rib comprises a main part 13 of U-section and an extension 14 which can slide into it. A hinge 16 is connected to the extension 14 to slide with it but outside the main part 13. A strut 15 isV pivotally connected at one end to the main slider 19 and at the other to the hinge 16. The main slider 19 has a central bore large enough to enable it to slide along both the ycrown part 1 and the handle part 7 of the stem, and so over the junction between them. Between the main slider 19 and the crown 17, and also slidable along the stem, is the auxiliary slider 2. The crown end of this auxiliary slider 2 has a peripheral recess accommodating a wire 10 on which the braces 6 are pivoted (see FIG. 5). Each brace 6 is pivotally connected at its other end to approximately the mid-point of a strut 15.

v Also pivotally mounted on the wire 10, between two of the braces 6, is a hook 3 hanging from the pivot point towards the handle of the frame. The slider 2 is provided with guide surfaces to prevent the hook 3 from swinging laterally.Y

A hole 8 is formed in the crown part 1 of the stem so that, when the stem is fully extended and the auxiliary slider 2 is about 4 cms. from the position it occupies when the ribs 13-14 are fully extended and-as shown 3 in FIGURE l-substantially parallel to the stem, the toe of the hook 3 registers with the hole 8.

To urge the toe into the hole S, the spring 4, shown in detail in FIG. 8, is provided. The spring 4 is formed in U-shape from a length of resilient strip of wire. Each end of the spring 4 is fixed to one of two adjacent struts 6, by means of the U-shaped members 5 clipped over the struts 6, and the transverse part lies in the slot 9 formed in the hook 3 and running roughly parallel to its length and so roughly parallel to the stem. Unless the transverse part of the spring 14 lies at the lower end of the slot 9 it acts on the side of the slot to urge the hook in the direction in which it engages the hole 8. An extension 18 of the slot 9 is formed to facilitate insertion of the spring 4 into the slot 9.

To spread the frame from its fully collapsed position it must first be extended and to do this the handle is pulled away from the crown 17. Normally the main slider 19 will be connected to the handle part 7 of the stem by means of a push button, so that extension of the stern will simultaneously extend the ribs. If the pushbutton is not provided the extensions 14 of the ribs can be grasped with the handle part 7 of the stem and pulled simultaneously away from the crown 17. As the hook 3 passes the hole 8 during this operation, the handle part 7 will lie behind to prevent it from entering the hole 8 too deeply although the hook 3 will be urged to enter the hole 8 by the action of the spring 4 on the side of the slot 9. The shape of the lower face of the toe of the hook 3 ensures that it will be again cammed out of the hole 3 under these circumstances. This brings the frame to the state shown in FIG. l.

To open the frame, the main slider 19 is pushed towards the crown 17. This will move the auxiliary slider 2 and the hinge 16 towards the crown 17 but after they have traveled about 4 cms., the hook 3 will engage the hole 8 so that further movement of the auxiliary slider will be prevented. Further movement of the main slider 19 towards the crown 17 is, however, possible but only by splaying the ribs, and this will therefore occur. When the ribs have been splayed to such an extent that the ribs are more nearly perpendicular to the struts and that further movement of the main slider 19 will not be able to apply a suiicient force lengthwise of the ribs to move the hinges along the main parts 13 of the ribs, the transverse part of the spring 4 will have reached the lower end of the slot 9 of hook 3. It will therefore cease to exert a pressure on the hook urging it to engage with the hole 8 but will be placed under a tension acting to withdraw the hook 3 from the hole 8. When this has happened both the main and the auxiliary slider can move towards the crown until the frame is fully spread. The auxiliary slider 2 may be made of such a length, as indicated by the dotted-line portion 12 in FIG. 4 that in this position it abuts the crown 17 and is contacted at its lower end by the main slider 19. This makes it possible to eliminate thev bulge usually provided on the stem to limit the crownward movement of the main slider 19.

It will be noticed that the hook 3 can engage the hole 8 only when the stem is fully extended. In collapsing the frame, therefore, the handle part 7 of the stem blocks the hole 8 before the hook 3 has been able to engage the hole so that the hook 3 does not impede the closing of the frame.

I claim:

1. A collapsible umbrella frame comprising a stick including two intertting members adapted to be telescoped into each other, one of said members having a crown xed to its end remote from the other of said members in an extended position thereof; releasable means adapted to lock said members in their extended position; a plurality of ribs each having one end pivotally connected to said crown, each rib including two rib members adapted to be telescoped into each other; a main slider slidable on said stick; a plurality of struts each pivotally connected to said main slider and hinged to its respective rib member; and auxiliary slider slidable on said stick between said crown and said main slider; a plurality of braces each pivotally connected to said auxiliary slider and to one of said struts by means of a hinge disposed on said strut intermediate the ends of said strut; stop means capable when in an effective position of positiveiy stopping the motion of said auxiliary slider towards said crown, said stop means including a catch movably mounted on said auxiliary slider and a formation engageable by said catch and disposed on said stick between said crown and said catch whenever said auxiliary slider is at maximum distance from said crown, coupling means coupling said catch to one of said braces and adapted to move said catch into an ineffective position while said braces turn outward about their pivots on said auxiliary slider, and means including one of said intertting members for disengaging said catch from said formation upon an incipient telescoping movement of said intertting members and for maintaining said catch ineffective in all but a fully extended position of said stick.

2. An umbrella frame as claimed in claim l, in which the coupling means is resilient.

3. A collapsible umbrella frame comprising a stick including two stick members adapted to be telescoped into each other, the stick member disposed at one end of said stick having a crown fixed to it; releasable means adapted to lock said stick members in their extended position; a plurality of ribs each having one end pivotally connected to said crown, each rib including two rib members adapted to be telescoped into each other; a main slider slidable on said stick; a plurality of struts each pivotally connected to said main slider and hinged to its respective rib member; an auxiliary slider slidable on said stick between said crown and said main slider, the stick member along which said auxiliary slider is slidable being a hollow one inside which the other stick member is slidable; a plurality of braces each pivotally connected to said auxiliary slider and to one of said struts by means of a hinge disposed on said strut intermediate the ends of said strut; stop means capable when in an eective position of positively stopping the motion of said auxiliary slider towards said crown, said stop means including a catch movably mounted on said auxiliary slider and means engageable by said catch and including an opening in the wall of said hollow stick member, said opening being disposed on said stick between said crown and said catch and also between said crown and the nearer end of said other stick member whenever said auxiliary slider is at maximum distance from said crown, the distance between said opening and said catch exceeding the distance between said opening and said end of said other stick member when the umbrella frame is closed and said stick members are in their extended position, yand coupling means coupling said catch to one of said braces and adapted to move said catch into an ineffective position while said braces turn outward about their pivots on said auxiliary slider.

4. An umbrella frame as claimed in claim 3, in which the coupling means is resilient.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,984 Haupt May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 879,271 France Nov. l0, 1942 

